Dwemer
Dwemer, meaning "Deep Elves" or "People of the Deep"Dwarves, v1, are a lost race of Mer that lived primarily in the region of Vvardenfell, Skyrim, High Rock and Hammerfell. Dwemer Inquiries Vol I They are well known for their craftsmanship, metalwork and technological prowess, as well as their huge advancements in architecture, science and technology, far beyond other races of Tamriel. Dwarves, v1 Biology The Dwemer are often referred to as "Dwarves" in western cultures, although they were no shorter than a human and the name seems to have been derived from a supposed encounter with giants who saw the Dwemer as short. However, according to Herbane, the Dwarves were the size of large children all with beards. Herbane's Bestiary: Automatons They were a reclusive, independent race, dedicated to the professions and principles of science, alchemy Ancient Tales of the Dwemer, Part V: Song of the Alchemists, arcane magic Kagrenac's Tools, technology, stonework Dwarves, v1, crafting and engineering Dwarves, v2. During the Battle of Red Mountain, when Kagrenac attempted to tap into the Heart of Lorkhan, the entire race did not die out; instead, the entire Dwemer race, save one, vanished into thin air simultaneously all around Nirn. Battle of Red Mountain Nerevar at Red Mountain Yagrum Bagarn was the only known remaining living Dwemer on Nirn. He resided in the Corprusarium deep beneath the island of Vvardenfell, in the Morrowind province of Tamriel. He had been infected by corprus, granting him eternal life, but constant pain. He was searching for clues to the whereabouts of his race when the Nerevarine discovered him. The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind History Records of Dwemer activity dated back to before the First Era, most notably in the Vvardenfell region. Vvardenfell in Dwemeris meant "City of the Strong Shield", which had the highest concentration of Dwemer ruins of any land in Tamriel. Feuding between Chimer and Dwemer continued until the First Council, when the Dwemer and Chimer unite to expel the Nords from Morrowind. One clan of Dwemer, the Rourken Clan, refused to make peace with the Chimer, and their patriarch threw his ceremonial warhammer, Volendrung, across Tamriel, proclaiming that his clan would settle where it landed. Over time, they settled in modern-day Hammerfell, explaining that region's name, home of the Redguards. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim: The Cursed Tribe Pocket Guide to the Empire, First Edition/Hammerfell Sometime after 1E 221, the Dwemer discovered a new raw mineral while mining in FahlZhardum Din, or Blackreach . They named this new mineral, Aetherium. Katria's Journal The Aetherium Wars An alliance was formed between Blackreach, Arkngthamz, Raldbthar, Mzulft and Bthar-zel, now known as Deep Folk Crossing. The roles of this project were spread out between the cities; Arkngthamz would serve as the main command center and the primary research facility, while Raldbthar, which happened to be located right above Blackreach, was given the role of dealing with mining operations. Mzulft was used as a storage site, but it is unknown what role Bthar-zel/Deep Folk Crossing was assigned. Katria's Journal pg 3-5 in Skyrim.]] Tensions began to flare between the Chimer and Dwemer once again. The Dwemer had discovered the Heart of Lorkhan, and the Chief Tonal Architect Kagrenac was using three devices to tap into the Heart, and when the Chimer discovered this, they believed that the Dwemer were mocking and disgracing their cultural beliefs. A great war erupted between them, eventually leading to the mysterious disappearance of the Dwemer during the Battle of Red Mountain. Battle of Red Mountain and the Rise and Fall of the Tribunal Again, the difficulty was prompted by the discovery of a mythological artifact known as the Heart of Lorkhan by the Dwemer, deep in the mountains' bowels. The Chief Tonal Architect Kagrenac, their de facto religious leader, devised a set of tools, Sunder, Keening, and Wraithguard, to manipulate the Heart to instill divinity to his people, but the spell backfired and caused all known Dwemer to vanish. Varying scholarly accounts state that their connection to the heart was severed, although this seems unlikely. Other accounts suggest that Kagrenac used his Tools to release the Dwemer from the Mortal Plane, in order to make all of his people immortal, but this was even more implausible. Since 1E 668, no word had been heard of the Dwemer, with the notable exception of Yagrum Bagarn, who resided in the Corprusarium of Tel Fyr. Apparently, he was absent from the Mortal Plane at the time of the disappearance, visiting an Outer Realm, an alternate dimension. His three thousand years of exploration and five hundred years of investigation have yielded no leads on the presence of his people on Mundus or any other plane of existence currently known. There are many mysteries among the Dwemer creations left behind. Mages Guild investigators had discovered that if one of the centurion spiders was taken away from Vvardenfell, it gradually became more sluggish, eventually going into a state of torpor. Even more curious was that upon return, the spider re-activated back to normal aggressive levels, as if sensing the presence of the Dwemer ruins. Due to Hammerfell's origins, the Dwemer robots reactivate in the lands of the Redguard as well. Dwemer artifacts were highly prized throughout the Empire, although since they were technically the property of the Emperor under the charter of the Imperial Society of Architecture and Design as well as the Imperial Historical Society, the sale of them was illegal. This did not seem to stop artifacts from falling off the backs of wagons or otherwise disappearing into various collections. Dwemer weapons and armor were especially valued, renowned for their excellent craftsmanship and sturdy design. Dwarven blades were constructed by a series of folded Dwemer metal sheets which made these weapons very strong and the armor was polished so blades would simply slip on it, though this affect may have been worn away over the centuries. However, acquisition of these artifacts was extremely dangerous, because of the remote location of the ruins, and the multitude of aged and unreliable Dwemer machinery within, including the Steam Centurion and other automata, as well as sophisticated traps of which the Dwemer were particularly fond. Economy Very little is known about the economy of the Dwemer, but it is known what form of currency they used, which was the Dwemer Coin. The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind Language and Writing System Both the Dwemer's language and writing system is referred to as Dwemeris; the language is a dark one, utilizing many z's and d's in its form. The writing system is composed of and written as the Dwemer's own form of runes and glyphs, somewhat similar to the Daedric Alphabet, the writing system of the Daedra. The runes for the Dwemer alphabet is incomplete, with the runes for the letters B, C, H, J,K,P,Q,T,X and Z being as of now unknown. http://dwemerstudies.wiwiland.net/runes.html Culture Society The Dwemer were a reclusive Elven Clan who lived in Morrowind during the First Era. The Dwemer, in general, were powerful and preferred the use of technology over magic, though some of their technologies were imbued with sources of powerful magic, and at times they would have to use magic to create their many devices and tools. The Dwemer who inhabited Stros M'kai were heavily reliant on steam power. They lived in great half-subterranean buildings and created mechanical creatures known as Animunculi as well as other devices. Dwemer Inquiries Vol I According to many First Era scholars, the Dwemer were feared by the Dunmer, Nords, Redguards and perhaps even by the Gods. Some Dunmer scholars might say, in this respect, that the Dwemer were blasphemous. They challenged the power and superiority of the Et'Ada, the Aedra and Daedra, questioned their authority, and traveled from Mundus into the Outer Realms of Aetherius and Oblivion. Many scholars agreed that those factors may have led to their demise. Probably the defining aspect of the Dwemer was their use of the Heart of Lorkhan. According to legend, after Lorkhan tricked or convinced the Aedra to create the mortal realm, they tore out his divine heart and threw it down to Nirn, to be hidden forever. The Dwemer found this heart, researched its intricacies, and used its divine power to create incredibly powerful technologies. They created the blade and tuning fork Keening and the hammer Sunder, along with the Wraithguard, to tap the power of the Heart, so they could use the power to create powerful technology imbued with powerful magic so great it could rival the power of the Gods themselves. Kagrenac's Tools .]]One of the things they built was a monstrous golem, similar to a un-electric robot, called Numidium, or the Brass God Numidium Plans, which was designed to help them transcend the Grey maybe, Nirn, the Mortal Realm by drawing power directly from the Heart. In other words, this golem was more than just a destructive force. It was an actual new God that the Dwemer had created from the substance of Lorkhan, the "Dead" God. After the Dwemer disappeared, Numidium made a reappearance in a weaker form when Tiber Septim used its power to conquer all of Tamriel and forge the Third Era. Secondly, the last living Dwarf, Yagrum Bagarn, said that when the Dwemer disappeared he was in the "Outer Realms", and thus did not disappear with them. The Outer Realms referred to that which was outside of Nirn, whether it was Aetherius, Oblivion, or some other "location" in the Aurbis is unknown. At any rate, this shows us that at least some Dwemer had the ability to remove their bodies from the mortal Plane and travel beyond normal bounds, something like having an out of body experience and, perhaps, taking your body with you. This idea was backed up by Baladas Demnevanni, who said that the Dwemer had practiced "generations of ritualistic 'anti-creations'", which possibly contributed to their disappearance. It was unknown whether The Calling and those anti-creations were a natural or learned trait or whether they stemmed from some technology or from some use of the Heart. One form of entertainment in Dwemer society was the Kagrumez Trials. When the Dwemer still existed, any warfighter could participate in the event, where he/she and many others would have to fight, each for their own, to the death against a variety of Automatons and survive against environmental and elemental effects. Though the Trials were extremely difficult to complete, the rewards of surving, completing and winning the Trials were even more substantial. The rewards included fame, glory, money, valuable items and the great Dwarven Black Bow of Fate. The Kagrumez Trials Architecture As opposed to the weapons, armor, tools and technology developed by the Dwemer, their architecture was mainly composed of stone. On the other hand, the Dwemer's methods of stonework and architectural construction was just as unique and grand as their metalwork. Unlike the more controversial areas of Dwarven scholarship, the construction of dwarven cities and relics are well-founded due to the plethora of samples taken from the ruins left behind. Dwarven designs share a set of common principles that can be used to delineate patterns and methodologies that were important to their craftsmen. Dwemer architecture is unique in that the Dwemer favored stone over other materials, such as wood or clay. Their mastery of stonework is a shining example of their civilization, and a notable one at that. As opposed to metal, which was found in their Animunculi, "Dwarven artisans favored stone, at least as far as their buildings were concerned." Dwarves, v1 However, as the Dwemer began to advance and achieve mastery over metalwork and more complex tools, metal was added to their architectural designs for buildings. Nevertheless, "the foundation of all known dwarven ruins is built on stonework, and the structure of dwarven stonework is sharp, angular and intensely mathematical in nature." Dwarves v1 Secondly, there are hundreds if not thousands of samples of Dwarven buildings made of precise square shapes, and far fewer examples of discretely rounded or curved stonework - this leads to the belief that early Dwarves favored trusted, well-calculated designs based on angled lines rather than riskier, more imprecise calculations based on arcs and curves. This comparatively simple tradition of stonecutting has nevertheless resulted in buildings that are as structurally sound in the Fourth Era, as they were hundreds of years ago.Dwarves, v1 Crafts Metalwork was the primary method used to make almost all dwarven crafts, as nearly all Dwemer crafts were made of metal. However, the more easily destructible materials such as clay, paper, and glass cannot be discounted from the scope of Dwarven craftsmanship. Given the tendency of Dwarven design to favor the long-lasting over the fragile, it can safely be assumed that at the very least metal was a heavy preference, and the metal used in all so-far-discovered Dwarven relics is entirely unique to their culture. In a scholarly view, the Dwemer essentially built to last, and the remaining examples of crafts, tools and devices display that notable aspect. No other race has ever replicated whatever process was used to create dwarven metal. Although these materials can be easily mistaken for bronze, it is most definitely a distinct type of metal of its own. The methods of mining and extracting the natural materials found in the deep reaches of their cities and the methods of producing the Dwemer metal has been lost to time as all attempts to imitate dwarven metal's exclusive properties have failed. The Dwemer had an incredible knowledge of mining, extracting and smelting the ore they found, as well as incorporating the smelted metal into their weapons, armor, tools, devices and other crafts. However, no type of ore has been verified or even discovered that the Dwemer may have used to smelt into metal ingots that they used in their crafts. The only method that has been successful is to melt down existing dwarven metallic scraps and start over from there.Dwarves, v1 Technology "Dwarven military machines also range from the human sized 'Sphere' warrior, which patrols the interiors of the ruins as a harmless ball only to emerge from it as a fully armed and armored automaton fighter, to the justly feared 'Centurion' whose height ranges from twice to several hundred times human size depending on which reports you believe." -Calcelmo, Dwarves, v2 Dwarves, v2 Dwarves created and manufactured on a very broad scale thousands of mechanical apparatuses of varying complexity. These constructs are referred to as Animunculi, or automatons. Several can be found within ancient Dwemer ruins, the most simple of which was of the standard arachnid design used to ward off trespassers. The design of the automatons themselves resemble a fusion of fantasy and steampunk designs, featuring gleaming brass cogs and gears. Most automatons contain a Soul Gem which is believed to be what brought these machines to life, but also somehow acts as a boiler due to the extreme energy held within it. In some automatons, such as the Dwarven Spider Guardian, the soul gems acts as a source of destruction magic, being able to attack intruders with lightning. s are a Dwemer technology, created to store knowledge.]]The pinnacle of their genius was the creation of a device called a Lexicon that allowed them to read an Elder Scroll without going mad or blind, as well as being able to store vast amounts of knowledge within the device. Unfathomable Depths Septimus Signus comments that such combinations of machinery and magic were trademarks of the Dwemer. Dialogue with Septimus Signus The Oculory was a massive construct located in Mzulft and inside the Tower of Mzark in Blackreach. The Oculory in Mzulft was designed and built to collect starlight, then transmute it and split it. If and when calibrated correctly with a focusing crystal, it can then be used to project this energy into a map of Tamriel, and can then harness the energies to reveal locations of great sources of magical power. Revealing the Unseen The Oculory located in the Tower of Mzark, however, was desgined and built to store artifacts of great importance, notably the Elder Scroll (Dragon). Elder Knowledge According to Paratus Decimius, the Orrery at the Arcane University was the inspiration for the Oculory. Revealing the Unseen The Orrery were elaborate, massive constructs designed for astronomical observation and study. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Since the Dwemer had a significant mastery over metalwork, construction of massive machines and interest in the sciences, notably astronomy, the Orrery were trademark developments of the Dwemer in their crafting, metalwork and scientific studies. One notable Orrery was located in Stros M'kai, constructed by the Rourken Clan sometime during 1E 420. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion One piece of technology the Dwemer created was a Control Cube. A Control Cube was designed and used to control specific constructs and maintain them, such as a power system, steam pump system and/or an aqueduct system. The Dwemer of Nchardak notably used many of these Control Cubes to maintain their city, control the various power system that kept the city stable and control the power system which supplied power to the Reading Room, as they would no doubt want to keep their massive, expansive library safe from outsiders. The Path of Knowledge Dialogue with Neloth Dwemer Ruins and Blackreach Before the Battle of Red Mountain and the dissapearing of the Dwemer, their cities were magnificent places to behold. Built under the surface and into the mountains, massive caverns stretched through under the mountains composed of great halls, large chambers, housing sections, crafting workshops and huge buildings of great stature. Dwemer cities also contained various structures designed for scientific research and study, such as an Oculorys Elder Knowledge and Orrerys The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. Dwemer cities were also commonly referred to as city-states. Some notable Dwemer cities were specifically constructed for certain purposes. For example, the Dwemer city of Nchardak was built for two reasons/purposes: first to collect and organize a collection of knowledge in the form of books and scrolls, as well as to house a huge, advanced library to hold all of the collected information; and secondly, to serve as a massive military industrial complex, designing and building the Dwemer military's weapons, war machines and Automatons. Dialogue with Neloth The Path of Knowledge Another example of Dwemer cities being built for a specific purpose was when the Dwemer government initiated Project Aetherium, in which four new Dwemer city-states were built up to help with the project; these four city-states were Arkgthamz, Mzulft, Raldbthar and Bthar-zel/Deep Folk Crossing. Each city-state had their own role in the project, but all worked together to get the ore mined, refined and combined with industrial production materials to create Aetherial artifacts. Arkngthamz was assigned the purpose of controlling the project, and being the main command center and primary research center, while Mzulft was given the role of being the storage site. Raldbthar was assigned the task of mining and handling the Aetherium ore/mineral directly, as the city was located directly above Blackreach, the primary source of Aetherium. It is unknown what role Bthar-zel/Deep Folk Crossing was assigned. Katria's Journal Lost to the Ages The Aetherium Wars After Kagrenac used his tools on the Heart of Lorkhan which caused his people to dissapear, Dwemer ruins started to become dangerous to explore because of the remaining automatons , such as sphere guardians, hidden traps, and in the case of Arkngthamz, a geological event such as an earthquake. Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim: Dawnguard: Lost to the Ages There is also the presence of the Falmer. However, all the ruins contain treasure, such as gold, weapons, armor, jewelery, tools, other items, as well as common and unique Dwemer artifacts, and even some magical relics. The presence of wealth and treasure inside these Dwemer ruins incites the creation of both organized exploration parties and lone explorers. There is also the matter of Blackreach, a region that connects Alftand, Raldbthar and Mzinchaleft ruins together Katria's Journal pg 3-5, and is possibly, the capital of the Dwarven kingdoms in Skyrim. Notable Dwemer *Bthuand Mzahnch - One of the Tonal Architects and author of "The Egg of Time." In it, Bthuand argued against the idea that tapping the power of Lorkhan's Heart was too dangerous. Some believed that using the Heart would have side effects, but the Tonal Architects argued that no unforeseen consequences could result from their work. The Egg of Time *Dumac - King of the Dwemer and friend of Indoril Nerevar. Dumac and Nerevar united their races to drive the Nords from Morrowind, then Dunmereth. Pocket Guide to the Empire, 3rd Edition: The Temple: Morrowind They then renamed the land Resdayn and formed the First Council as a ruling body over the two races. The two developed mutual respect and trust between the two of them, as well as a great friendship. The Seven Curses The Battle of Red Mountain, and the Rise and Fall of the Tribunal They created peace throughout the land, and good relations developed between the Chimer and Dwemer, and the two civilizations prospered together. Eventually, however, they warred on each other when Nerevar demanded that the Dwemer cease construction of the Numidium, which Dumac may or may not have known about. The Battle of Red Mountain, and the Rise and Fall of the Tribunal Also called Dumac Dwarfking or Dumac Dwarf-Orc by his enemies The Thirty-Six Lessons of Vivec, Sermon Thirty-Six, as well as Dumalacath. The Tale of Dro'Zira-Transcription and Commentary *Kagrenac - The Chief Tonal Architect or Shop Foremer War of the First Council of the Dwemer. Kagrenac was the primary Mer who worked on the Heart of Lorkhan. He created the original brass god, Numidium Numidium Plans, as well as Keening, Sunder, and the Wraithguard. Kagrenac's Tools He was present at the Battle of Red Mountain, and, according to some stories, went to use the tools on the Heart at the last second before his race evaporated. Nerevar at Red Mountain The Battle of Red Mountain War of the First Council Progress of Truth The Lost Prophecy Kagrenac's Tools *Radac Stungnthumz - A Dwemer ghost that helped the Nerevarine reforge the Trueflame, the sword of Nerevar. Radac was originally a soldier that somehow knew about applying Pyroil tar on a blade in order to make it burning and deadly. *Yagrum Bagarn - The last living Dwemer and one of Kagrenac's Tonal Architects. Bagarn was in the Outer Realms when the rest of his race disappeared, so he was unaffected by the event. He wandered Morrowind for many years searching for other Dwemer, to no avail. Eventually he caught Corprus and descended into madness for many years. He was later housed in the Corprusarium at Tel Fyr and was mostly conscious, though he did not have full control of his body or mind. Dwemer Artifacts Common Artifacts Main article': 'Dwemer Artifacts' ' Unique artifacts found by the Dwemer Finding, studying and examining relics and artifacts of great power was "somewhat of a specialty of the Dwarves," as noted by Telvanni wizard Neloth. Dialogue with Neloth The Elder Scrolls V: Dragonborn: The Path of Knowledge as the Dwemer themselves were a power-hungry civilization searching for sources of immense power. On the other hand, the Dwemer searched for relics and artifacts of great power because their people were an intellectual race, heavily interested in the art of research, study and examination of powerful objects. At times the Dwemer just happened to find an ancient artifact as one of their expedition parties or traveling caravans were out on the road No Stone Unturned, but there were some artifacts the Dwemer simply wanted to acquire, such as the Black Books of Hermaeus Mora. Dialogue with Neloth The Path of Knowledge As the Dwemer defied the Nine Divines, Aedra and Daedra with their values of reason and logic, some Dwemer people actually took to travelling from Mundus to Oblivion in search of magical artifacts and relics of insurmountable power. An example of the Dwemer stumbling upon an ancient artifact was when a Dwemer trading caravan stumbled upon the Crown of Barenziah and the 24 Stones of Barenziah. No Stone Unturned An example of the Dwemer wanting to acquire an ancient artifact for study, examination and extraction of its power was the finding of the Black Book: Epistolary Acumen. The Dwarves wanted to acquire powers that a Dragonborn could acquire from the aformentioned Black Book, which include the last two words of the Bend Will shout, as well as three powers that include Dragonborn Force, Dragonborn Flame and Dragonborn Frost. According to Neloth, it is no wonder that the Dwemer had acquired the Black Book: Epistolary Acumen and kept in the Reading Room of Nchardak. Dialogue with Neloth The Path of Knowledge *Elder Scroll (Dragon) Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim: Elder Knowledge *Crown of Barenziah Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim: No Stone Unturned *Eyes of the Falmer Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim: Blindsighted *Heart of Lorkhan Nerevar at Red Mountain The Battle of Red Mountain Progress of Truth *Black Book: Epistolary Acumen Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim: Dragonborn: The Path of Knowledge Unique artifacts created by the Dwemer *Kagrenac's Tools: Keening, Sunder, Wraithguard Kagrenac's Tools *Aetherial Artifacts: Aetherial Crown, Aetherial Staff, Aetherial Shield The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim: Dawnguard: Lost to the Ages *Spellbreaker The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim: The Only Cure *Volendrung The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim: The Cursed Tribe Pocket Guide to the Empire, First Edition/Hammerfell *Dwarven Black Bow of Fate The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim: Dragonborn: The Kagrumez Trials *Visage of Mzund The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim: Dragonborn Trivia *The Dwemer draw inspiration from the mainstream interpretation of "Dwarves" in fantasy media. They are, in fact, the Dwarves of the Elder Scrolls series. *Their outfits and appearance seem to draw inspiration from the Babylonians and ancient Greeks, especially their beards and clothes. *The Dwarven language, especially in lore, is analogous to traditional Gaelic. Sources Scholarly Works * Pocket Guide to the Empire, First Edition * Pocket Guide to the Empire, Third Edition * The Battle of Red Mountain, and the Rise and Fall of the Tribunal * Nerevar at Red Mountain * Kagrenac's Tools * Progress of Truth * The Real Nerevar * The War of the First Council * The Five Songs of King Wulfharth * Sermon Zero of the Thirty-Six-and-Nine Sermons * The Aetherium Wars * Chronicles of Nchuleft * Antecedents of Dwemer Law * Nchunak's Fire and Faith * Secrets of Dwemer Animunculi * Herbane's Bestiary: Automatons * Ruins of Kemel-Ze * Ancient Tales of the Dwemer (Not a real account of "ancient tales" of the Dwemer and has nothing to do with the real Dwemer; the stories of this book series is actually based off of the Dwemer and is a fictional series) * Dwarves, v1 * Dwarves, v2 * Dwarves, v3 * Dwemer Inquiries Vol I * Dwemer Inquiries Vol II * Dwemer Inquiries Vol III * Dwemer History and Culture Journals *Katria's Journal *Ulyn's Journal *Eydis's Journal Ancient texts written in Dwemeris * The Egg of Time * Divine Metaphysics * Hanging Gardens Other texts translated from Dwemeris *Chronicles of Nchuleft *Nchunak's Fire and Faith External Links * http://dwemerstudies.wiwiland.net/index-2.html * http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Lore:Dwemer References Appearances * ** ** * ** ** * **The Elder Scrolls V: Dawnguard **The Elder Scrolls V: Dragonborn ru:двемеры es:Dwemer de:Dwemer it:Dwemer pl:Dwemer Category:Mer Category:Races Category:Dwemer Category:Extinct Races